Fire fighting turret

• US 4,535,846 A
• Filed: 09/06/1983
• Issued: 08/20/1985
• Est. Priority Date: 09/06/1983
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: National Foam Systems Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Feecon Corp.
• Inventors: Gagliardo, John P., Morse, Donald K., Pruneau, Albert Jr.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kashnikow, Andres
• Application Number:
  US06/529,329
• Time in Patent Office: 714 Days
• Field of Search: 169/25, 239/587
• US Class Current: 169/25
• CPC Class Codes: B05B 3/14 with oscillating elements; with intermittent operation

Abstract

Turret for moving a fire fighting nozzle in an oscillation mode and in an elevation selecting movement. The turret having a separate controllable double-acting pneumatic cylinder for each movement, operated by pressured air.

Claims

1. Fire fighting turret, comprising:

(a) a nozzle apparatus, including a main body adapted to receive fluid under pressure, an intermediate body mounted on the main body for swinging motion about a vertical axis, and a nozzle mounted on the intermediate body for movement about a horizontal axis,

(b) a control rod extending through the main body and the intermediate body, mounted therein for vertical sliding movement, and connected at its upper end to the nozzle for bringing about the said movement about a horizontal axis,

(c) an elevation cylinder mounted in fixed relationship to the main body, and

(d) an actuating element with an inclined slot, a vertical slot, and a guide element riding in the slots, the elements joining a movable element of the cylinder and the control rod to bring about vertical movement of the rod when the cylinder is energized.

2. Fire fighting turret as recited in claim 1, wherein the elevation cylinder is pneumatic and has a body that is fixedly mounted at a right angle to the control rod and a piston having two piston rods, one of which extends from each end of the body, the actuating element consisting of an elongated plate in which the inclined slot is formed and whose ends are attached to the piston rods for movement in synchronization with the piston, and wherein the guide element consists of a roller mounted on the lower end of the rod for sliding movement in the inclined slot as well as the vertical slot.

3. Fire fighting turret as recited in claim 2, wherein the rotation pneumatic cylinder is mounted under the main body, the cylinder having a piston with a piston rod extending from both ends of the body, wherein a rack is horizontally mounted with each end connected to a piston rod, and wherein a tube surrounds the control rod, has its upper end fixed to the intermediate body, and has a gear mounted on its lower end for engagement with the rack to produce the swinging motion of the intermediate body and the nozzle.

4. Fire fighting turret as recited in claim 3, wherein the elevation cylinder and the rotation cylinder are double-acting, wherein a source of high pressure air is connected to each end of the elevation cylinder through a solenoid-operated 3-way valve, so that one end at a time can be exhausted by its valve to produce piston movement, and wherein the source of high pressure air is connected through solenoid-operated 3-way valves to each end of the rotation cylinder and through a self-relieving regulator to the exhaust parts of the 3-way valves to produce piston movement by differential pressure on opposite sides of the piston.

5. Fire fighting turret as recited in claim 4, wherein an oscillation control is provided to permit adjustment not only of the arc of swinging motion but also the location of the swinging motion, the oscillation control being provided with two fingers movable in a horizontal plane about a common axis, the angle between the fingers determining the arc of the swinging motion and the location of fingers determining the location of the swinging motion.

6. Fire fighting turret, comprising:

(a) a nozzle apparatus, including a main body adapted to be mounted in a fixed position, an intermediate body mounted on the main body for swinging movement relative thereto, and a nozzle mounted on the intermediate for adjustment to a selected angle to the angle of the said swinging movement,

(b) a source of pressure air,

(c) an elevation pneumatic cylinder connected to the source to bring about the said adjustment,

(d) a rotation pneumatic cylinder connected to the source to bring about the said swinging movement,

(e) a pair of selector fingers pivotally mounted on a common pivot, each finger having a limit switch, and

(f) a bracket movable in synchronization with the rotation cylinder to come into operative relationship alternately with the limit switchs on the selector fingers to cause oscillation of the intermediate body and the nozzle, the arc and direction of oscillation being selectable by corresponding adjustment of the fingers.

7. Fire fighting nozzle as recited in claim 6, wherein the limit switches are reed switches and the bracket carries a magnet that actuates a reed switch by moving into proximity thereto.